Lainesmead Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels by:
  • developing the skills of middle leaders to be able to check on and influence improvements in teaching
  • ensuring that additional funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is used more effectively
  • ensuring that the approach to the teaching of mathematics is consistent and effective across the school.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning, including in the early years, to accelerate pupils’ progress by ensuring that:
  • teaching adapts more swiftly when pupils are ready for more challenging work
  • full use of assessments is made to plan the next steps in learning
  • teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including in the presentation of their work
  • the teaching of mathematics systematically builds on and deepens pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding
  • children’s learning activities are more closely matched to their abilities to enable them to develop their independence.
• Improve outcomes for all groups by:
  • accelerating pupils’ progress so that pupils who need to catch up are in line with the national figures by the end of key stage 2
  • diminishing the differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally.
• Improve the personal development, behaviour and well-being of pupils by:
  • improving attendance, so that it is at least in line with the national average
  • ensuring that teachers capture pupils’ interest by providing them work that is carefully matched to their needs. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Following a whole-school review, the senior leadership team has been recently restructured. This work is enabling leaders to tackle the areas for improvement more effectively and with greater urgency. However, it is too early to see the full impact of the changes that have been made. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain and the progress of current pupils is not yet good across the school.
• Middle leaders are not currently bringing about fast enough improvement in teaching and learning. Work is currently underway to address this in order for them to support pupils’ progress more effectively.
• Mathematics standards at the end of key stage 2 have been below the national average for the last two years. Leaders have not acted swiftly enough to stem the decline and improve the quality of mathematics teaching.
• The pupil premium is not used well enough. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment in reading has been in the bottom 20% nationally for the last two years. Leaders have only recently got a clear picture about the impact of the spending to raise pupils’ achievement. Current pupils’ progress is inconsistent across the school in a range of subjects.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have ensured that, since September 2017, the curriculum is broad and balanced. For example, leaders recognised that a large proportion of pupils were not being exposed to a range of texts. The school adopted an approach to teaching all subjects through a range of texts with a focus on improving outcomes in reading. However, although it is too early to evaluate the full impact of the restructure, pupils who read with inspectors demonstrated positive reading skills that were at least in line with what is expected for their age.
• Pupils feel that the extra-curricular opportunities that are provided enhance their learning experiences and enjoyment of school. Pupils reported that they particularly found their visit to Bristol Science Museum helpful in developing their scientific knowledge and understanding further.
• Leaders provide effectively for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about fundamental British values through considering how such values contribute to a multicultural society. The members of the school council feel valued and that they are involved in whole-school decision-making. Pupils are particularly proud of their responsibilities as prefects.
• The physical education and sport premium is used wisely. Leaders have successfully increased the level of physical activity and opportunity for pupils. Pupils report favourably on the extra-curricular experiences that the funding provides, for example ‘street hockey’ and ‘BMX workshops’. The school has a clear focus on ensuring ‘sport for all’.
• The headteacher has an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and has correctly identified priorities for improvement. There are positive signs that her passionate and committed approach is beginning to have an impact on the quality of education.
• The school’s leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is effective. The leader is knowledgeable and committed to providing strong support. Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that pupils are supported well.
• The headteacher has strengthened systems to manage the performance of teachers to hold them to account for pupils’ progress. She uses the process effectively to provide additional support for teachers to improve their performance. This work is now having an impact on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Teaching staff feel that the school supports their continued professional development effectively.
• The local authority has a clear understanding about the quality of education currently provided by the school. It knows where continued support is required to address the areas for development identified by leaders.

Governance of the school

• Since the last inspection, the governing body has not held leaders sufficiently to account. The governors have been willing to accept the information leaders have provided without rigorous challenge to assure themselves of its accuracy. They permitted standards to fall, and these have yet to fully recover. Scrutiny of governing body minutes reveals limited challenge to the leadership of the school.
• Governors have relied on external reports that have not always provided an accurate picture of the key actions needed to improve pupils’ progress, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
• The newly appointed chair of the governing body has quickly established an accurate view of the school’s work. She knows the school’s strengths and what improvements are needed. The governing body acknowledges where the school has not had enough impact on pupils’ learning in the past. Governors are dedicated to the school and are keen to be fully effective in their strategic roles to drive the school forward.
• Governors understand and implement their statutory duties, including their responsibility for ensuring that the school keeps pupils safe. Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have been effective in creating a culture in which safeguarding is seen as everyone’s responsibility. The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, agreed that the school keeps their children safe.
• The school works very well with external agencies who are supporting the most vulnerable pupils to keep them safe and free from harm.
• The designated person for safeguarding ensures that all staff receive up-to-date training in child protection procedures and first aid. Staff confidently told inspectors about the signs and symptoms to look out for to identify if a pupil is at risk and are fully aware of the appropriate action to take should they have a concern.
• Leaders ensure that all new staff are inducted appropriately in the school’s safeguarding policies and that the correct vetting checks take place before staff or volunteers begin working at the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is inconsistent throughout the school. Teachers do not consistently provide pupils with work that is sufficiently challenging. Pupils are at times completing work that they have already mastered. This slows the progress that pupils are making.
• Some teachers do not step in swiftly to address misconceptions or move pupils’ learning to a higher level when they are ready. This hinders pupils from achieving the highest standards of which they may be capable, particularly the most able.
• Pupils’ books, across a range of subjects, show that some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. In some classes, teachers accept work that is not well presented.
• Following a recent review of the school’s approach to assessment, senior leaders identified that the previous system was not ‘fit for purpose’. Consequently, leaders and staff are developing their understanding and use of a new assessment system. As a result, planned learning over time has not been built upon sufficiently to enable pupils to make good progress.
• Although leaders have provided training in the mathematics curriculum, staff still lack confidence in their delivery of this subject. As a result, pupils do not develop and apply their problem-solving and reasoning skills to deepen their understanding well enough.
• Writing has not always been taught effectively across the school. While there are examples of this improving rapidly, there is still variation across the classes, particularly in key stage 2.
• When teachers have high expectations, progress is more rapid and pupils are more focused and engaged with their learning. However, this is inconsistent across the school. As a result, pupils have varied experiences as they move through the year groups.
• Recent improvements to the teaching of phonics are beginning to have an impact upon pupils’ reading skills. Effective teaching of this skill throughout the school captures pupils’ attention well. As a result, pupils use the letter sounds they have learned to help them work out unfamiliar words when they are reading.
• Pupils have good opportunities to read and demonstrate a love of reading. Teachers ensure that reading is used effectively throughout the curriculum. Pupils report they enjoy reading and are motivated and encouraged to read widely and often.
• The impact of the support provided by teaching assistants on pupils’ progress is effective. Particularly effective is support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. As a result, they are able to thrive in their learning and make positive progress.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are respectful and caring.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attendance has been inconsistent over the last three years and remains below average, and persistent absence is high. Leaders’ actions have not secured sustained improvements.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online. They learn how to keep themselves safe inside and outside of school through a range of work promoted within the curriculum.
• The school actively promotes healthy lifestyles through ‘Change for Life’ and pupils understand why it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Pupils reported that they are well looked after and that they have ‘trusted adults’ within the school to share any worries or concerns. Their view was supported by a large proportion of parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire. One parent summed up the views of a number of written comments by stating, ‘The school does an excellent job of educating my children, whilst also ensuring that their well-being and safety are paramount.’
• Pupils feel safe and happy at school. Pupils told inspectors that adults will listen to their problems and act upon them swiftly. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils are happy and safe. They have a sound understanding of the definition of bullying and are confident that if any bullying happens, leaders address it swiftly.
• Pupils learn about a range of world religions and cultures. They have regular visits from members of the school community to teach pupils about their culture. They spoke respectfully about people whose beliefs or lifestyles may be different to their own. For example, one pupil reported, ‘We are all different, but we all live in Swindon.’
• Pupils who attend the breakfast or after-school club receive a welcoming and sociable start or end to the school day. The school chef and school business manager, who run the breakfast club, provide a range of healthy food options and well-planned activities.
• Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy representing the school in the wider community. Pupils were keen to tell inspectors how proud they were to represent the school in a national singing competition.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Too many pupils in key stage 2 do not take pride in their work, particularly in writing and mathematics. As a result, books are not well presented. Poor presentation is often not challenged by teachers.
• In lessons, pupils are mostly attentive and are eager to please. However, pupils occasionally drift off task and engage in low-level disruption when teachers do not provide them with sufficiently challenging work. Sometimes their behaviour disturbs the learning of others in the class and pupils do not always respond positively.
• Pupils move safely and sensibly around the school. They demonstrate respect towards adults, and usually towards each other.
• During playtime and lunchtime, pupils play sensibly together, well supervised by the adults. A range of activities are provided to promote teamwork and healthy lifestyles.
• Pupils told inspectors that the school’s system for managing behaviour is effective.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Children’s skills and understanding when they enter the school are below those typical for their age. However, children do not make fast enough progress throughout the early years to catch up. Disadvantaged children have made slower progress than nationally for the last three years. As a result, they are not well prepared to start key stage 1.
• For the last two years, standards in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have been below those found nationally, including for disadvantaged and the most able pupils.
• In 2016 and 2017, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics combined, at the end of key stage 2, was considerably lower than the national average.
• The school receives pupils throughout the school year. Many speak English as an additional language and some only stay at the school for a short period of time. Leaders ensure that these pupils are provided with effective support so that they settle quickly and begin to make good progress, especially in learning English and reading. Nonetheless, some who join the school in the older year groups do not catch up to achieve the expected standards at the end of Year 6.
• Disadvantaged pupils make inconsistent progress as they move through the school. As a result, differences between the standards that disadvantaged pupils are achieving compared with other pupils are not diminishing quickly enough in some year groups.
• The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to reach the higher standards, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. In key stage 2, by the end of 2017, the proportion of pupils reaching a greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average.
• Work in pupils’ books, observations of learning and the school’s own assessment information show that expectations in some classes are not always high enough and this slows pupils’ progress. However, where expectations are high, current pupils’ outcomes are improving and pupils are making faster progress.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check has, for five years, been below that found nationally. However, current pupils’ progress, observations of phonics teaching and listening to pupils read point to positive signs of improvement.
• Those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making good progress in their learning because of the effective support they receive.
• Standards in key stage 1 are rising. Pupils make better progress; as a result, a greater proportion are now working at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Internal assessment information for current pupils in the school shows that outcomes are improving. However, there remains inconsistency in some classes where the quality of teaching is not yet good.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning in the early years is not consistently good. As in the rest of the school, teachers do not always provide learning activities that are well matched to meet children’s needs. For example, children are often set activities that they cannot complete without adult support. Consequently, too often children rely upon adult support to achieve the learning and are not developing their resilience or independence.
• Since 2016, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has been below the national average. Boys do not achieve as well as girls. Information provided by the school indicates that this negative trend is set to continue.
• The use of additional funding for disadvantaged children is targeted to meet their individual needs, but this is not making enough of a difference. For the last three years, the proportion of disadvantaged children reaching a good level of development has been below the national average. This means that they are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they need to be.
• In the Nursery class, staff know children’s needs and interests well. Staff have consistently high expectations. Children respond well to this and are very focused on their learning. However, they demonstrate low levels of independence and rely heavily on adult support.
• Adults promote good relationships with the children. Where children are able to complete the learning activities provided without relying too much on adult support, they show that they can achieve well. For example, inspectors observed one child learning independently and grappling with doubling 16 with confidence.
• The leader for the early years provision has an accurate view of the strengths and weakness of the provision. She is clear about what further developments are needed to improve the provision to ensure that it is consistently good. Staff from across the two settings share the same determination and enthusiasm to improve outcomes.
• Activities provided for children are successfully helping children to listen, to play cooperatively and to develop a broad range of physical skills. Children were observed taking part in making ‘sand cakes’ and learned about the importance of not eating too much sugar and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
• Children in the early years are well cared for and are happy at school. The learning environment, both indoors and outside, is lively and vibrant. This captures the children’s imagination and makes them willing learners to engage well with the activities and work happily with their teachers and other adults. There is a wide range of resources available to children and stimulating learning areas to develop specific skills.
• Safeguarding is effective. Staff comply with the school policies and are well trained to ensure that children are kept safe. There are no breaches of safeguarding. Children behave well in the early years. They follow the school’s rules and respond well to adults’ instructions.
• The Nursery class opened in September 2016 and around one third of children enter Reception having attended the school Nursery class.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126228 Swindon 10047611 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 436 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Leigh Timbrell Eirian Painter 01793 529106 www.lainesmeadprimaryschool.org.uk admin@lainesmeadprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 June 2014

Information about this school

• The headteacher was appointed in September 2015.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum standard expected for pupils at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.
• A large proportion of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is above that found nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils who are supported by an education, health and care plan, or statement of special educational needs, is below average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons across the school. Some observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and at break and lunchtime. An inspector also visited the breakfast and after-school club provision.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and senior leaders, including the mathematics and English leader, the person responsible for safeguarding, a local authority representative and the leader with responsibility for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Inspectors also held a meeting with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils informally during their break and lunchtimes and in class. They also held a more formal discussion and listened to two groups of pupils read.
• Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s self-evaluation document, the school’s improvement plan and documentation relating to safeguarding of pupils.
• Inspectors examined a sample of pupils’ books from across the school jointly with the headteacher and senior leaders.
• Inspectors spoke with parents as they brought their children to school in the morning and considered 58 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. They also considered the 71 responses to the pupil survey and the 28 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Matt Middlemore, lead inspector Marion Borland Jane Johns

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector